This invention relates to coin dispensing machines.
In a conventional coin dispensing machine, a sector-shaped operating plate 1 as shown in FIG. 1 is placed below two coin tubes. The operating plate 1 is turned in the direction of the arrow A or A' by an electric motor (not shown), so that when a hole 1a or 1b formed in the operating plate 1 is aligned with one coin tube from which coins are to be dispensed, the coins contained in the coin tube are discharged through the hole 1a or 1b.
However, with the operation plate, it is impossible to subject more than two coin tubes to coin dispensation because of its construction. Therefore, in the case where a number of coin tubes are juxtaposed, one operating plate should be provided for every two coin tubes, and these operating plates must be driven individually. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a number of driving electric motors, and the dispensing mechanism is necessarily intricate. Therefore, it is rather difficult to assemble the conventional dispensing machine, and therefore the machine is expensive. In addition, it is difficult to install a number of driving motors in view of the space occupied by them, and accordingly, the number of coin tubes which can be juxtaposed is limited. If the number of coin tubes which can be juxtaposed is small, naturally the amount of coins stored is reduced as much, which may cause the shortage of change. In addition, when the number of monetary denominations required is increased, it is difficult to deal with it.
In view of the above-described drawbacks accompanying a conventional coin dispensing machine, an object of this invention is to provide a coin dispensing machine in which desired coins are selectively dispensed out of a plurality of juxtaposed coin tubes.